Releasable Adhesive Membrane for Ceramic Tile Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic tile flooring is difficult to remove and replace without damaging the underlying substrate, as existing solutions either require extensive preparation or use adhesives that can damage hardwood floors when attempting to detach the tiles.
Innovation Solution
A pre-fabricated ceramic tile composite article is used, featuring a releasable adhesive membrane that allows ceramic tiles to be easily installed and removed without damaging the substrate, utilizing a sheet that floats on the floor and is designed to tear apart for easy removal, ensuring minimal damage to the substrate during replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ceramic tiles are permanently bonded to the substrate using conventional adhesives, then the flooring is durable and stable, but the tiles become difficult to remove and may damage the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive system is segmented into two distinct layers: a first adhesive layer that bonds to the substrate and a second adhesive layer that bonds to the tile. This segmentation allows the tile to be easily separated from the substrate by peeling the second layer, while the first layer remains bonded to the substrate, thus resolving the contradiction between durable bonding and easy removal.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable liner is introduced as an intermediary element between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer. This liner can be removed after tile installation, allowing the tile to be easily detached from the substrate without damaging it, while still maintaining the durable bonding function during use.
2Strength
If backer board is added to a wood floor to provide sufficient strength for ceramic tile, then the floor can support tile without cracking, but the hardwood floor may be damaged during attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable or easily replaceable adhesive system that can be applied directly to the hardwood floor without requiring permanent structural modifications. The adhesive layers and removable liner are designed to be easily removed without damaging the hardwood, eliminating the need for backer board while protecting the floor from damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable liner acts as a protective intermediary between the adhesive system and the hardwood floor. It allows the adhesive to bond to the floor surface while protecting the hardwood from direct contact with the adhesive and installation tools, thus preventing damage while providing sufficient bonding strength for tile support.
3Strength
If conventional latex-modified thinset mortar is used to bond backer board to wood floor, then strong bonding is achieved, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding system is segmented into multiple adhesive layers with different functions: the first adhesive layer provides strong bonding to the substrate, while the second adhesive layer provides bonding to the tile and can be easily removed. This segmentation simplifies the installation process by eliminating the need for backer board and complex mortar application, while maintaining the required bonding strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the adhesive system by using polymer-modified adhesives with specific viscosity and bonding characteristics. These parameter changes allow the adhesive to provide strong bonding without requiring the complex installation procedures associated with traditional thinset mortar and backer board systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables quick and easy installation and removal of ceramic tiles, providing durable and crack-resistant flooring while minimizing damage to the substrate, thus improving the efficiency and longevity of tile flooring systems.
Implementation Method 1
A pre-fabricated ceramic tile composite article is used, featuring a releasable adhesive membrane that allows ceramic tiles to be easily installed and removed without damaging the substrate
Implementation Method 2
a sheet that floats on the floor and is designed to tear apart for easy removal
Implementation Method 3
The ceramic tiles are attached to the adhesive membrane with thinset mortar
Data Source
AI summary
Ceramic floors and methods of making thereof such that the ceramic tiles are quickly and easily removable from the floor substrate and replaceable at a future date, and the ceramic flooring has crack isolation.A ceramic tile floor is laid by releasably adhering a sheet to a floor substrate using a releasable and not repositionable adhesive and bonding at least one ceramic tile to the sheet with a mortar.The sheet has a non-porous layer which is adhered to the substrate, a paper layer, and a water barrier layer to prevent swelling of the paper layer by water from the mortar and to thereby prevent lippage. The sheet may have an other paper layer to which the mortar is bonded.